Isaiah 8:17-22 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 8:16-22

In these verses we have, I. The unspeakable privilege which the people of God enjoy in having the oracles of God consigned over to them, and being entrusted with the sacred writings. That they may sanctify the Lord of hosts, may make him their fear and find him their sanctuary, bind up the testimony, Isa. 8:16. Note, It is a great instance of God's care of his church and love to it that he has lodged in it the invaluable treasure of divine revelation. 1. It is a testimony and a law; not only... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 8:17

And I will wait upon the Lord ,.... Or "for the Lord" F24 וחכיתי ליהוה "praestolabor Dominum", Montanus; "expectabo Dominum", V. L. ; for the coming of Christ, the Immanuel, who would be a sanctuary to some, and a stone of stumbling to others, and whose doctrine in the meanwhile would be bound up and sealed; faith in, and expectation of the Messiah's coming, are often signified by waiting for him, Isaiah 25:9 , that hideth his face from the house of Jacob ; to whom the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 8:18

Behold, I, and the children whom the Lord hath given me ,.... These are the words of Christ, as is clear from Hebrews 2:13 who, upon the prophet's declaring his resolution to look and wait for him, presents himself and his children to him, as if he was actually come, or else continues his discourse from the preceding verse; for these are not the words of the prophet, speaking of himself and his natural children, Shearjashub and Mahershalalhashbaz; nor of his spiritual children, his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 8:19

And when they shall say unto you ,.... These are the words of Christ continued, as making his appearance in Israel; and are an address to his people among them, even to his children, disciples, and followers, advising them what they should do, when those among whom they dwelt should press them to seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards, that peep, and that mutter ; meaning the Scribes and Pharisees, the doctors among the Jews, who sat in Moses's chair, and who were... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 8:20

To the law, and to the testimony ,.... Kimchi takes this to be an oath, "by the law, and by the testimony", it is so and so; but Aben Ezra observes there is no instance of this kind in Scripture; it is a direction of Christ's to his disciples, to attend to the writings of Moses and the prophets, to search the Scriptures, as in John 5:39 and particularly what is before said in this prophecy concerning himself, the same is meant as on Isaiah 8:16 . if they speak not according to this... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 8:21

And they shall pass through it ,.... The land, as the Targum and Kimchi supply it; that is, the land of Judea, as Aben Ezra interprets it. Here begins an account of the punishment that should be inflicted on the Jews, for their neglect of the prophecies of the Old Testament, and their rejection of the Messiah: hardly bestead and hungry ; put to the greatest difficulty to get food to eat, and famishing for want of it; which some understand of the time when Sennacherib's army was before... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 8:22

And they shall look unto the earth ,.... As persons in distress, upwards and downwards, backwards and forwards, on the right hand and on the left, particularly into the land of Judea; a land that used to flow with milk and honey, a land of light, plenty, and prosperity: and behold trouble and darkness ; adversity, and miseries of all kinds, expressed by a variety of words; and even words fail to express the tribulation of these times, which were such as were not from the beginning of the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 8:18

Lord of hosts - One MS. reads צבאות אלהי Elohey tsebaoth , God of hosts. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 8:19

Should not a people seek "Should they seek" - After ידרש yidrosh , the Septuagint, repeating the word, read הידרש hayidrosh : Ουκ εθνος προς Θεον αυτου εκζητησουσι; τι εκζητησουσι περι των ζωντων τους νεκρους ; Should not a nation seek unto its God? Why should you seek unto the dead concerning the living? and this repetition of the verb seems necessary to the sense; and, as Procopius on the place observes, it strongly expresses the prophet's indignation at their folly. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 8:20

To the law and to the testimony "Unto the command, and unto the testimony" - "Is not תעודה teudah here the attested prophecy, Isaiah 8:1-4 ;? and perhaps תורה torah the command, Isaiah 8:11-15 ;? for it means sometimes a particular, and even a human, command; see Proverbs 6:20 , and Proverbs 7:1 , Proverbs 7:2 , where it is ordered to be hid, that is, secretly kept." - Abp. Secker. So Deschamps, in his translation, or rather paraphrase, understands it: " Tenons nous a... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 8:16-22

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 8:17

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 8:18

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 8:19

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 8:20

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 8:21

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 8:22

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 8:18

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 8:19

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 8:20

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